Final Thoughts
by SilverInk2011
Summary: Jordan runs away from Boston and moves to Woody's native Wisconsin...but Woody follows her there two years after their love profession.  He tries to win back her heart, and she tries to give it again.  Will it be for good this time?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters and stories belong to NBC and Tim Kring.**

A/N: What happened with WoJo after Crash. This is my take. Jordan ran away (as per the usual), and ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...and I'm from there...so I know a lot about this place. Woody comes for her...and there are time-to-time appearances from Lily, Bug, Nigel, Garret, and even a little Kate.

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Final Thoughts

Why do I always run? Why is it that I always seem to run away even when things are good? Why do I promise myself I'll never run away again? But I did. I ran away from Boston right after we were rescued from that plane crash. I ran away from my life in Boston, the one I spent time trying to repair. I ran away from all the possibilities of a future that I could have.

I ran away from Woody. I ran away from the man I love. We shared a kiss on that mountain. That kiss was the best damn thing I ever felt in my life. Why didn't I stay so I could be with him?

Because I thought that if I ran away, I could forget him. That's what I do all the damn time. It kills me that I can't stay in one place long enough to really fall in love. They get close, and I run. That's what always happens. That's what will always happen. I'm such an idiot.

And yet I ended up here…Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Why did I choose this place to begin a new career? Why did I choose this place and stay for two years? That's right…it's been two years since the accident. It's 2009. I'm in Wisconsin. I'm working in the Milwaukee County Morgue. How I managed to get a job there and keep it without going crazy…and missing my old family like a broken limb…is beyond me. Of course, they're nice. Wisconsin folks are generally polite and considerate. At least…most of them are. I've run into a few rude people.

I chose this place because I wanted to be in a city where there is action…but I wanted to be near Woody. If I couldn't be near him, I could at least be where he lived as a child? Is it that bad that I want to be near his place of birth?

"Hey Cavanaugh? Boston…yoo-hoo?" called one of my colleagues. They've taken to calling me Boston or Irish Eyes. That's the price I pay for being a native Bostonian in a Midwestern setting.

"Yeah?" I asked him. "What do you want, Keller?"

"There's a new cop transfer from Boston. Figured you could show him around the morgue. Looks like he's been here before, but the morgue may be new territory for this freak."

"Why me?" he asked.

"Because you're from Boston," he answered me back. "And he says he knows you."

I rolled my eyes. It was probably someone from the precinct back home that looked at me a couple times and knew my name from the rotation list. I stripped my hands of my gloves and walked outside. "You know him?" Keller asked me.

At this point, I wasn't sure if my mouth was open or closed. There, in jeans and a nice shirt, hair combed in a sweep, and brown eyes with a sweet smile in them stood the man I ran away from. The man I still loved. Woody was there. I wanted to run into his arms. To tell him I'm sorry I ran and that I couldn't forget about him. I still love him so much. But I couldn't. At this point, he probably met someone in Boston and was deeply in love with her. This was probably just a ruse to get me to come home. So all I did was stand there and gape. "Yeah," I whispered, staring at my beloved Woody Hoyt, "I know him."

_And I love him, _I didn't add.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters and stories belong to NBC and Tim Kring.**

A/N: Another chapter. This again focuses on Jordan's running away. I know it's redundant, but maybe she'll stop. Please review. Thanks. Love, Lawabidingchild.

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I continued a stray journey through the morgue. I walked semi-awkwardly ahead of him, despite how many good memories this brought me. We used to walk through the Boston morgue every day together. I miss that. I miss _him._

But he probably hates me. He probably thinks I'm leading him on…which I probably did. But I love him. I love him so much. Dammit, Jordan! Focus girl! I should have never left. I should have taken the chance when I did. I told him before we were rescued. And there was so much truth to those words. I wish I didn't run away.

"Jordan?" he asked me suddenly. "Everything okay?" He asked me that question in his own Woody way. I missed that.

"Yeah," I answered. "This is autopsy room one," I announce as we enter. Just as we hear the last swipe of the door close, he pulls me close and kisses me. His lips are warm to the touch. I feel my heart beat with every single pump working fiercely. I feel my face grow hot. It feels so good to have him kiss me. Yet I push him away and run out the door. He doesn't follow me. He doesn't notice my tears. He doesn't notice that I was fighting not to kiss him back.

He deserves better than the woman who ran away.

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My apartment looms over the center of downtown Milwaukee. I can see the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts with Red Arrow Ice Skating Rink right across from it. The ice rink, however, is empty. It's nearing summer.

I spend the evening wondering how Woody found me. He didn't transfer because he wanted to. He transferred to try and find me. How did he know how find me or even reach me? Someone in Boston must have blabbed. I told Kate, Lily, Garret, Nigel, and Bug. But not Woody. Woody was better off not knowing. I might just break his heart again.

Working in Wisconsin, living in Wisconsin, and trying to assimilate to Wisconsin life-style have somehow made me feel like I'm still with Woody. And I would like to be. I don't want to push him away again. I feel like an idiot for doing it the first time…and the second time…and the third time…okay too many times to count. But this was the first time I moved away from him. And it was not going well.

I heard my phone buzz. I scrambled over to it because I was not busy and didn't want another message on my voicemail. Lily. I still keep in touch with the rest of the morgue family. Bug and Lily visited me a couple of times with Maddie. She's now calling me her Auntie Jordan. I miss her and the rest of them. Maybe it's the idiocy. "Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Jordan," whispered a familiar female voice.

"Lily," I answered back, happy to hear from my best female friend. My sister.

"Listen, okay. Kate has a big mouth-."

I cut her off. "Ah, good old Kate. I was wondering how Woody found me. It's nice to know I can trust the morgue staff to keep their mouths shut."

"I'm sorry, Jordan, but…wait a minute. How did you know he knows where you are?"

"He's been hired by the Milwaukee PD as a transfer," I explained simply.

"He still loves you, you know…and you pushed him away again, didn't you?"

I gave a wry smile that she couldn't see. I made a short noise of confirmation. "Oh, Jordan," she scolded over the phone, "I thought we went through this."

"We did…after we were done playing with Maddie."

I could hear the icy silence over the phone. There was no convincing Lily that I was okay with everything…because we both knew everything wasn't okay. I left Boston two years ago. The only way that I saw the people I loved was through telephone conversations and their occasional trips to Milwaukee. I haven't set foot in Boston since I left. I didn't want to see him…Woody. "Just come back, Jordan."

"Why?" I asked her. "I actually like it here." That part was true. I don't think I want to move back to the east coast. Too smoggy, now that I think about it.

"Jordan-," she tried to start.

"I know, I know. But I really want to stay here. I'm not going to let me running away from my feelings for Woody ruin my life here. I have to at least try. I don't know how, but one of these days I'm going to stop running."

"And how soon will that be?"

"When I don't run away from his morgue kisses."

"Oh, God. He didn't…did he?"

"Yeah, he did."

"Oh, Jordan. You've gotta stop this."

"I know."

"Are you?"

"Maybe." I heard a beep on the other line. "Hey, Lily, I've gotta go. Someone's on the other line and it may be important. I call you soon, okay?"

"Swear?" she asked me.

"On my mother's grave," I replied, which was no joke.

"Okay, Jordan. Bye." I heard a click on her line.

"Bye," I whispered before clicking the answer button to receive my next call. "Cavanaugh," I answered.

"Jordan?" asked a male voice. Woody.

"Hi Woody," I squeaked, my voice quaking with a nervous twitch.

There was a brief awkward pause on both ends of the line before we started talking at the same time. "I'm sorry about…no I mean…I'm sorry I…" then we both laughed uncomfortably.

"Look Woody, I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry if you think I lead you on. But the truth is I…" I trailed off.

"I'm sorry I kissed you back there. I didn't realize that it would upset you."

_Woody, you don't have to apologize to me. I'm the one with the problem._ "It's my fault. I ran. I'm sorry."

The pause afterwards was considerably longer. "I would like to meet you at the Water Street Brewery if that's possible. They have a bar we can sit at and we can order homemade beer-."

Woody cut me off with a laugh. "I'm a Wisconsin native, Jordan. I've been to Milwaukee a couple times in my travels. I know where and what that place is. I'll see you there in an hour?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I whispered back. He hung up. And I realized something- in my attempt to sound tempting…I actually made myself sound like an idiot.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters and stories belong to NBC and Tim Kring.**

A/N: Another chapter. This again focuses on Jordan's running away. I know it's redundant, but maybe she'll stop. Please review. Thanks. Love, Lawabidingchild.

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I was standing at the bar in a red halter top and a pair of dark blue jeans. My hair was dark once again and I had my curls tossed over my shoulder. I even pinned some of it up. But I wondered where and what Woody was doing. But I was also a half-an-hour early…and on my second beer. "God, looking like that should be illegal," I heard a familiar voice say behind me.

I turned around. "Do you ever not play the cop, Woody?"

"Only when you're being a smartass," he teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him. The air felt a little more comfortable. I could feel a breeze pass more easily than I could if I hadn't confronted him; if I hadn't told him to meet me.

He looked great. He was dressed simply- a button-down shirt with vertical stripes and a collar that hung down appropriately. He had on blue jeans complete with a black belt, with black shoes. He wore no tie, no suit, nothing that would say that he's uptight. He looked relaxed, calm, in control. I felt and heard my heart thump faster. It was audible. _Shut up! Shut up! _I screamed at it in my head. That was no use.

He pulled my chin up so our eyes could meet. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I murmured, "why?"

"Because you have that look," he stated pointedly.

"What look?" I asked him.

"That look you get when something's wrong." I turned my head away. "I know you, Jordan. Don't think I don't know you. You're making the face right now."

I straightened up, and stared at him. I felt this intense urge to take him into my arms and just hold him. But after all that happened, he probably wouldn't want that. It's hypocritical of me to want him when I keep rejecting him. Instead, I compensated by clapping him on the shoulder. The friendly gesture was enough.

He wasn't as controlled as I was. He took me into his arms and wrapped me in them. This was not a Great-To-See-You embrace or an It's-Been-A-While embrace.

It was an I-Missed-You-So-Much embrace. The kind you give someone you love.

I didn't push him away. I couldn't. Instead, I just wrapped my arms around him and held on tightly. After what seemed like minutes, or decades (I couldn't tell), he pulled back. I was kind of expecting a kiss to follow, but I guess that wasn't going to happen.

He ordered a beer.

"So," I began, "how's Boston?"

"It's great. Everyone misses you, though."

"You know why I left."

"No. I don't. Do you want to tell me?"

It was at that point when I looked away from him. "I don't know."

"Yes you do," he said. I kept my gaze away from him, ashamed of myself.

"I can't tell you," I whispered sliding away from the bar.

"Was it me?" he asked simply.

"No, Woody! God!"

"It must have something to do with me." His eyes were pleading me for an answer. I couldn't give it to him. It wasn't that simple.

"It's not you, Woody!" I thought for a minute. "Well... it's not you, specifically."

"So it has something to do with me?"

"With us." I felt tears sting my eyes as I slid away from the bar. I slapped my fair share of the tab down and started walking.

"Jordan!" he called as I took off as I always did.

I walked out, leaving my one chance behind. I kicked a city garbage can and kept trudging on. I wiped tears vigorously from my eyes. I couldn't believe my own behavior.

I felt a pair of strong arms swivel my body around. I stared into Woody's eyes. He was behind me, trying to catch me. And I kept running.

"I love you, Jordan," he said to me on the busy street. "Nothing you do could make me stop. You didn't have to leave."

My eyes swelled with tears. He bent down to kiss me. This time I welcomed it. "Did you need to hear it?" he asked me.

I smacked him, kissed him again, and wrapped my arms around his lovely body. I felt my right arm get pulled down and a circle of cold metal touch it.

The ring.

I kept my body close to his.

I love him.


End file.
